Richard Fifoot:

An Inventory of His Collection of the Sitwell Family in the Manuscript
Collection at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

Creator:

Fifoot, Richard, 1925-1992

Title:

Richard Fifoot Collection of the
Sitwell Family

Dates:

1919-1962 (bulk 1951-1962)

Abstract:

Composed mainly of correspondence to
Richard Fifoot concerning his book A Bibliography of Edith,
Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell (1963) and two small excerpts of text by
Osbert Sitwell, the Richard Fifoot Collection of the Sitwell Family was originally
part of the Sitwell Family Collection. A few letters from Fifoot are included in the
collection as well. All materials are arranged alphabetically by author.

Extent:

1 box (0.42 linear feet)

Language:

English

Repository:

The University of Texas at Austin, Harry Ransom Humanities
Research Center

Erik Richard Sidney (E. R. S.) Fifoot was born on June 14, 1925. In 1950, while
pursuing a Diploma in Librarianship and Archives at University College in London,
Fifoot began to compile a bibliography of works by Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell
Sitwell. Thirteen years later his college project resulted in his publicationA Bibliography of Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell
(1963). Revised in 1971, Fifoot's book is recognized as the premier bibliography of
works by the Sitwell siblings.

During Fifoot's career he worked as a librarian at the University of Leeds, the
University of Nottingham, Edinburgh University, and the Bodleian Library, and
published various reviews and essays, but none as comprehensive as his Sitwell
bibliography. After a successful career as a librarian in Britain, Fifoot died on
June 24, 1992.

Composed mainly of correspondence to Richard Fifoot concerning his book A Bibliography of Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell Sitwell
(1963), the Richard Fifoot Collection of the Sitwell Family was originally part of
the Sitwell Family Collection. The Sitwell Family Collection was reorganized and
cataloged into individual collections for each Sitwell family member—Edith, Georgia,
Osbert, and Sacheverell—as well as a separate collection for Richard Fifoot. The
Fifoot Collection is arranged in two series: I. Correspondence and II. Sitwell
Family.

The Correspondence Series makes up the bulk of the collection and is broken into two
subseries: A. Fifoot Correspondence and B. Third-Party Correspondence, both of which
are arranged alphabetically. Subseries A. comprises publishers’ letters to Fifoot
responding to his queries, as well as a few additional letters written by Fifoot.
One note by Fifoot in folder 4 explains his failure to keep copies of outgoing
letters and the significance of his “replied on” notations on the incoming
correspondence. Also included in Subseries A. are letters from Osbert Sitwell to
Fifoot. Subseries B. contains correspondence between individuals other than Fifoot
or a member of the Sitwell family, often relating to a published work about the
Sitwells.

Series II. includes letters by both Edith and Osbert Sitwell directed to individuals
other than Fifoot. Also present are two texts authored by Osbert Sitwell: one was
written in Sacheverell’s hand and is the preface to a catalog of an exhibition of
Ethelbert White's paintings; the other is a typed carbon copy of his essay
"Reviewing Reviewed."

A complete Index of Correspondents is available at the end of this finding aid.

Related material can be found elsewhere at the Ransom Center in the Alfred A. Knopf,
Inc., Osbert Sitwell, and Sacheverell Sitwell manuscript collections. Galley proofs
of Fifoot's A Bibliography of Edith, Osbert, and Sacheverell
Sitwell are cataloged in the Osbert Sitwell Collection.